Tatooine Scene: Searching for Droids

[Solo_bones]

Someone once said "It ain't a dio unless you can stick your head in it". So based on that baseline, I had to start one of my new projects with that in mind, even though some of the best dio's I have ever seen you can't stick your head in. Still...it's a lofty goal.

Here's the very first stages of my new dio, that was to be built for the new C3PO, which I bought in January, and still haven't received.

This is the scene where the R2 and C3PO are hiding in a room, waiting to connect with the others on Tatooine. And when I imagined it, I didn't think it would be this big, but....oh well.

My wife might be struggling with this one, but I made it modular, so I can remove the building and still leave the base, to be used later for a Lars homestead scene, which we originally agreed would be nice for the art display area.

Inspiration:

Initial build:

 

[DarthTrafford]

Keep us up to date!
Looks like it's going to be a big project!

 

[spiderrogue]

**** me...that is gonna be cool

 

[Solo_bones]

Haha! Thanks guys. There are so many ways to blow this, but....WTH, I might as well give it a go. There will be lights, and lots of imagination will be used on the inside, there's not a lot of information as to what was in that room. So, I'm going to do it up....light it up with stuff and see where it goes.

 

[Cc3680]

totally fantastic. I have been planning to begin my own. (for the past 4 weeks.. LOL).
Question: what type of wood? How are you planning to keep in together other than with blue tape?

I am really going to be watching this. Your previous two projects were "Home Runs" there is no reason to think this will not be anything less.

Thanks for sharing - from a guy that would like to get something like this going.

 

[Solo_bones]

Hey Cc3680! I'm only using tape, temporarily, to test the cuts and sizing that I am doing. I don't have blueprints so I am "eyeballing" the entire thing. I will eventually use woods studs to stud the thing out, but I will keep most of it hollow as I will be running lighting systems up and through it. I still have lots more wood to cut for the exterior, then there's the interior and possible roof. It all depends what my wife will add to the conversation, right now she knows it's a project that im building for the forum, then I may have to put it downstairs, once it's complete and if it doesn't live up to the hype I have been putting into it

 

[LOPIE]

Sweet cant wait to see it done.

 

[Chakaman]

Man, I wish I had the space for a dio. Looking great so far, looking forward to following your progress.

 

[Solo_bones]

Sweet cant wait to see it done.

Thanks Lopie. Me too. I haven't done anything like this before, so it's all trial and error. Hopefully it comes out like I have it in my head...at least the inside. The exterior is pretty much supposed to look like the picture.

Man, I wish I had the space for a dio. Looking great so far, looking forward to following your progress.

Thanks Chaka..although I have seen your amazing room. Looks like you got the space, it's just all taken up with awesome goodness.

 

[Solo_bones]

Update: I had a discussion with my wife and we decided to not make such a large scale dio, but instead break it up into little art pieces.

The moisture vaporator will be it's own dio and art piece and the building will now be only to house C3PO and R2, if Tamashii ever makes one.

In the meantime, here are the updates. The best way I found to bond the cut pieces was to use super glue and wood corner pieces. The wood corners bond the wood together in such an easy and strong way as it made no sense to continue to use screws, which were difficult and expensive. This is very light and construction goes very fast with this method.

 

[mortifactor]

That's a cool way of doing it, have you also tried wood pva glue instead of superglue? bit less of a whiff and should be cheaper. Hope the big one is still going on behind the wife's back

 

[Solo_bones]

Thanks mortifactor. I haven't used it on wood projects before, but I'm liking the results of the superglue, because it dries instantaneous and I don't need to use a lot or clamp it. I will check out the PVA and see how it works.

I accidentally clamped a brace in the wrong spot and after only a few minutes I couldn't break it off. When I finally did, it took the upper layer of wood with it. This construction is very sound. (you can see the piece in the photos...there's a giant sliver of upper layer on a brace that I flipped to use the opposite side)

 

[flying dutchman]

I see your of to a great start!!! Wood is durable and sturdy so it won't disintergrate while looking at it. I'm really looking forward to this....

 

[Solo_bones]

Thanks dutchman. I'm getting there. I'm still negotiating with my wife on the actual size and how it will be displayed. Right now I am almost finished with the exterior.

 

[Cc3680]

Exciting times here at The Freak! I notice the clear strip at the bottom and the slight space at the bottom of the wall. Is that because you will fill the ground with dirt? That is soooooo awesome

 

[Kamandi]

Great start. LOVE the moisture vaporator. Did you build it?

Are you going to scratchbuild the rounded hex shaped device in the second alcove?

 

[Solo_bones]

Exciting times here at The Freak! I notice the clear strip at the bottom and the slight space at the bottom of the wall. Is that because you will fill the ground with dirt? That is soooooo awesome

If you are talking about the base, yes, that's clear plexiglass and there is a gap between the foam board and the lip so I can fill with sand. There was also some imprecise cuts made to the structure so the bottom doesn't hit the ground like other parts. I glued before sanding and that was dumb. Anyway, I plan to connect the two pieces and start the door, which will open and close...(at least that's the plan).

Great start. LOVE the moisture vaporator. Did you build it?

Are you going to scratchbuild the rounded hex shaped device in the second alcove?

Yeah, I made the MV, just eyeballing it and referencing pictures. I also plan to make the hex shape thing, which i guess is a power supply of some kind? Goin for it.

Long way to go...

 

[Solo_bones]

Update: Separating the moisture vaporator from the new dio. It's now it's own dio and it's in progress.

I'll terrace the sand down gradually, and abruptly in some places. Will do my best to make it look natural, but the point was to highlight the MV and showcase the Marmits.

 

[Centurion]

Looking really good already.

 

[Cc3680]

Very cool. Is that stone or wood that the evaporator is standing on? Is this the same material you used on the dewback dio?